Brassieres



' v. E. HAZARD July 30, 1957 BRASSIERES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 14,1956 INVENTOR ByiylanQI-iazard A Wwf July 30,1957 v. E. HAZARD 2,800,659

RAssIEREs Filed NOV. 14, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.2.

INVENTOR.

1Q/ivian Hazard BRASSIERES Vivian E. Hazard, Los Angeles, Calif.,assigner to Beautee-Fit Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a firm ApplicationNovember 14, 1956, Serial No. 622,081

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-30) This invention relates to garments, and moreparticularly to garments of the brassiere type.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a garment ofthis character which will provide for a low back line and for variablelateral expansion for accommodation to gures of different contours. Itis an object of the invention to provide a garment which will allow fora maximum of expansion, and particularly in the rear portion of thegarment, yet will provide an elastic restraining force where needed tothereby eliminate unsightly bulging, while accommodating figures ofvarious heights.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of a garmenthaving breast cups in its front area and a back in which the lowerportion is formed by an elastic panel which extends between the loweredge of the back of the garment and the approximate transverse centerline of the garment; the upper portion of the back being provided withan opening across which a pair of crossed elastic bands extend, thebands forming a flattened V-shaped upper edge line at the rear of thegarment, said bands being located in the garment above the elastic paneltherein.

With these objects and features in view, I have devised the arrangementof parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claimappended' hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of theinvention is disclosed,

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of the garment in closed, iattenedposition;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the garment, and

Fig. 3 is a face View of the garment in open position, looking at theinside face thereof.

Referring to the drawing, the body of the garment is generally indicatedat 1 and the same is provided. at the front, in the upper area thereof,with the breast cups indicated respectively at 8 and 9. These breastcups may be of the construction shown or of other construction known inbrassiere manufacture. Extending downwardly from the lower edge of thebreast cup 8 is an elastic insert or panel 16 which extends downwardlyto the lower edge 13 of the garment. A similar elastic insert or panel17 extends from the lower end of the breast cup 9 to the lower edge 13of the garment. These inserts or panels 16 and 17 preferably have theirgreater degree of elasticity transversely or laterally of the garment.

The garment is adapted to have its ends 20 and 21 detachably joined atthe front center line of the garment by means of the slide fastener 22or by other suitable closure means to enable the garment to beconveniently tted on or removed from the body of the wearer.

The garment is reinforced vertically by means of the reinforcing strips2 which form pockets to contain stilening elements or ribs of a knowntype. The rear or back States Patent of the garment is clearly shown inFig. 1, wherein it will be noted that in the lower area of the backthere is provided an elastic or expansible panel indicated at 3. Thiselastic panel has its greatest stretch transversely of the garment andis located centrally of the back of the garment and its lower edge formspart of the lower edge 13 of the garment. The upper edge of the panel 3is indicated at 12 and the same is located at approximately thetransverse center line of the garment. The lower edge of the garment inthe rear extends well below the front lower edge.

' Above the upper edge 12. of the panel 3 there is provided a rearopening dened at its ends by the edges 10 and 11 of the garment body,and extending across said opening are the elastic bands or straps 6 and7. Said bands or straps are arranged in crossed relation and thus extenddiagonally across one another without interconnection and have theiropposite ends secured to the edges 10 and 11. This arrangement of thecrossed bands or straps provides a attened V-shape upper rear edge atthe center of the back of the garment which is relatively low forconcealment by a low-back type of gown.

Dependent from the lower edge 13 in the front part of the garment arethe elastic garter straps 5 provided with the clasps 15, and straps 4are provided in the rear of the garment in the form of loops having theclasps 14 for stocking support.

From the foregoing, the uses and advantages of the garment will beapparent to those skilled in this art. The elasticity and flexibilityprovided in the rear of the garment through the employment of the lowerelastic panel 3 and the upper crossed elastic bands permits the garmentto readily adapt itself to varying body contours, allowing for avariable lateral expansion. The spacing between the bands 6 and 7 andthe rear elastic panel 3 permits vertical variation for diierent ligureheights, thus preventing bulging in the back. In addition, thearrangement of the bands enables a low back to be provided in thegarment.

Having described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obviousthat the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough tocover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claim.

What I claim is:

In a garment of the character described, a front and a back, the frontof the garment having breast cups, the back of the garment beingprovided with a central elastic panel, said central elastic panel havingits lower end located at the lower end of the garment and having itsupper end terminating below the top of the garment, the body of thegarment presenting a pair of spaced, vertically-extending edge portionslocated between the upper end of the elastic panel and the top of thegarment, a pair of wide expansible bands having their opposite endspermanently -attached to the said edge portions, said bands extendingdiagonally across one another and being se cured only to said edgeportions and being free of attachment to the elastic panel.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,113,065 Wipperman Apr. 5, 1938 2,125,974 Wipperman Aug. 9, 19382,199,442 Mayonnade May 7, 1940 2,437,654 Rosner Mar. 9, 1948 FOREIGNPATENTS 176,622 Austria /Nov. l0, 1953

